Minnesota State Government Shutdown – A Citizen’s Perspective

The State of Minnesota is officially “closed” today because our legislature and governor could not reach a budget agreement before the June 30^th, Midnight deadline.  This is not a time to despair fellow citizens – no this is the ideal time to expect true leadership from our public officials.   Behind the headlines depicting the impasse between legislative leaders and the governor there is an ongoing legal process whereby our courts are determining what are deemed “core government functions.”  The Minnesota Zoo is a perfect example of an opportunity to fundamentally re-structure government.  Is the provision of a zoo a core function of government? As a classical liberal who celebrates limited government I would say “no” and would expect PETA to join me in this sentiment.

Yet the Minnesota Zoo has hired our former state Attorney General – Mike Hatch – to represent them in our courts arguing that the zoo should be allowed to remain open during the government shutdown.   As reported by our Pioneer Press newspaper today the zoo “will lose about $50,000 each day (admission tickets, etc.) during a government shutdown.”   Since my family purchased a membership at the zoo the shutdown has become a form of double taxation from an opportunity cost perspective since our membership is a sunk cost that we are unable to use.    Instead of having the shutdown resolved via a brokered deal between the legislative leaders and the governor I call on them to challenge our status quo system where our biennial budget increases yet again in real dollar terms.

Here is a cost savings proposal that you will never hear discussed at the capitol – the City of St. Paul’s city-owned zoo – Como Zoo – should be merged with the Minnesota Zoo to find synergies that reduce operating costs.   These cost savings discovered via the resulting Como-Minnesota Zoo entity should be applied to a multi-year plan to wean the zoo off the government teat that is combined with a Friends of the Zoo fundraising campaign.   The end result –  a two campus zoo that is more efficient and one that is not susceptible to government shutdowns.   Taxpayers – this is not the time to blame political parties, public officials,  or class warfare advocates – this is the time to fundamentally restructure government.